Milwaukeehttps://www.fightbacknews.org/taxonomy/term/6588/all
enMilwaukee: Days of demonstrations, police escalate attacks against protesters on year’s hottest day https://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/6/3/milwaukee-days-demonstrations-police-escalate-attacks-against-protesters-year-s-hottest-day
<p>Milwaukee, WI - The weekend has come and gone, but the uprising that began on Friday, May 29 has continued and grown. On June 2, the largest demonstration to date occurred, even in spite of the blistering heat and heavy humidity.</p>
<p>As many as 3000 residents of Milwaukee turned out to Humboldt Park on the city’s South Side and embarked on a nearly seven-mile march to the City of Milwaukee Municipal Court building. The march was led by Black and Chicano activists representing the North and South sides, respectively.</p>
<p>The march came to a stop outside of city hall, where organizers spoke to those gathered. In addition to demanding justice for George Floyd and Joel Acevedo (a local victim of police crimes), the main thrust was unity between the oppressed nationality communities of Milwaukee. The unifying character of the uprising in Milwaukee is a promising development for the most segregated city in the U.S.</p>
<p>After the march reached its planned final stop at the Municipal Court building and heard more speeches about unity and condemning police crimes, the mass of people continued in the streets. Eventually they made their way to the entrance ramp onto Interstate 794 and the Hoan Bridge, one of the distinguishing architectural features of the city.</p>
<p>1000 protesters made it up the ramp before police intercepted them. The violence started when police shot teargas canisters and rubber bullets at the people in an effort to drive them back down the ramp.</p>
<p>“The police blocked off I-794 and gassed people with no warning. They started arresting people after brutalizing them,” said Lauryn Cross, a community organizer who was a part of the highway push. “We tried to ask what precinct they were going to and weren’t even given that.”</p>
<p>After the incident on I-794, the police became increasingly aggressive. Heavy amounts of teargas mixed with more rubber bullets and pepper spray was deployed. Police in heavy armored military surplus vehicles rumbled down the streets. Officers stood at the ready from on high, loaded weapons aimed at kneeling protesters as they chanted “We are people! We are peaceful!”</p>
<p>Mere hours before the police violence, Mayor Tom Barrett announced that there would be no curfew for June 2. The decision is an interesting one, given that at a press conference held on June 1, Barrett said the curfew would remain in effect until it was deemed no longer effective. Given the fact that protesters have been out in the streets well past midnight each of the nights since the curfew was announced on May 30, it’s hard to say it was ever effective.</p>
<p>The increased aggressiveness of Milwaukee police comes just one day after President Donald Trump appeared on live TV, telling state governments that if they didn’t control the situations in their cities and utilize sufficient force to “dominate the streets” that he would be deploying U.S. military troops to put down these uprisings.</p>
<p>“It’s clear that these crooked police felt emboldened by the president’s words, and the people have suffered for it,” said Wisconsin FRSO leader Ryan Hamann. “However, if the last several days are any indication, no matter what the police do, or what Mayor Barrett orders, or what Trump proclaims, the people will not be denied. Milwaukee’s streets belong to the people of Milwaukee.”</p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/6/3/milwaukee-days-demonstrations-police-escalate-attacks-against-protesters-year-s-hottest-day#commentsPeople's StrugglesPolice BrutalityAfrican-AmericanAnti-racismChican@ / Latin@Donald TrumpJustice for George FloydMilwaukeeMinneapolis UprisingIn-Justice SystemOppressed NationalitiesU.S.Wed, 03 Jun 2020 19:46:49 +0000Fight Back8180 at https://www.fightbacknews.orgMilwaukee: Large protests against police crimes https://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/5/30/milwaukee-large-protests-against-police-crimes
<p>Milwaukee, WI - Several marches were held in Milwaukee on May 29 to demand justice for George Floyd, an African American man who was murdered by Minneapolis police. Protesters were also demanding justice for Joel Acevedo, a Chicano murdered by an off-duty Milwaukee police officer.</p>
<p>Protesters met up on the corner of N 27th and Center, where they heard various community speakers demand justice in their communities. Organizers from UW Parkside Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and Young People's Resistance Committee were handing out fliers for an organization that will primarily focus on demanding community control of the police. </p>
<p>Protesters marched down Center Street to the freeway and took up all three lanes. Milwaukee police attempted to arrest people but caught very few. They made their way to the courthouse to demand the release of the people who were caught. After roughly a half hour of chanting and demanding their release, the protesters were released from the courthouse.</p>
<p>After this victory, the protesters made their way back to N 27th and Center. After reconvening, organizers of the protest encouraged people to travel over to S 45th and Cleveland for a protest being held outside of Michael Mattioli's house, the cop who murdered Joel Acevedo. A march down Miller Park Way ensued.</p>
<p>Protesters were held up from taking over the freeway by several cops in riot gear. Protesters occupied the intersection of Miller Park Way and National for almost the entirety of rush hour. Police started to bring in reinforcements to break up the protest and the protesters began to make their way down National towards the downtown area. Several people came out of their houses and cars to join the protest. </p>
<p>There were an estimated 1500 protesters at the peak of today's demonstrations, with many people leaving and coming back throughout the day.</p>
<p>On top of this incredible show of support from both the North and Southside, many people across the city called Mayor Tom Barrett's office demanding that the city reopen the only no-symptoms-required COVID-19 testing center on the Northside.</p>
<p>“The outpouring of responses, full voicemail box and direct messages are a clear sign of us being frustrated with the mistreatment. Every time Tom Barrett or Milwaukee government officials do something to inconvenience us they will be met with a response,” said Lauryn Cross, one of the organizers of the call-in action. “If we can’t meet them in the office, we will show out in the streets."</p>
<p>The actions today on the Northside and Southside of Milwaukee are a significant development in organizing. Milwaukee's Northside is home to a largely Black population while the Southside is primarily Chicano. The unity of Black and brown struggle is an extremely significant development in Milwaukee that will lead to the change both communities desperately need.</p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/5/30/milwaukee-large-protests-against-police-crimes#commentsPeople's StrugglesPolice BrutalityAfrican-AmericanChican@ / Latin@Justice for George FloydMilwaukeeMinneapolis UprisingIn-Justice SystemOppressed NationalitiesSun, 31 May 2020 02:46:00 +0000Fight Back8147 at https://www.fightbacknews.orgNorth Milwaukee COVID-19 testing site closure leaves Black community with few optionshttps://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/5/26/north-milwaukee-covid-19-testing-site-closure-leaves-black-community-few-options
<p>Milwaukee, WI - On May 7, Wisconsin governor Tony Evers declared a COVID-19 testing plan that would focus on reaching all Blacks, Latinos and indigenous people in Wisconsin. The sites would be administered by and staffed by members of the Wisconsin National Guard. The significance of these sites was that individuals would be able to receive testing regardless of symptoms, healthcare or appointment.</p>
<p>Beginning on May 11, the City of Milwaukee opened two testing centers: the Midtown Center site, located on the North Side, home to the vast majority of the city’s Black residents; and a second one at the United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS) building on the predominantly Latino South Side. Both groups in the city continue to see imbalances in case numbers of both deaths and infections due to the systemic racism in both political and medicinal structures in the city.</p>
<p>The original plan was to be able to service 500 people at each site, for a total of 1000 people per day. Both locations were quickly overwhelmed as people flocked to get themselves and their families tested. The plan was adjusted to account for 1000 tests at each individual location, for a total of 2000 tests per day.</p>
<p>Then, on May 23, Mayor Tom Barrett announced that the Midtown Center site was going to be closed after Memorial Day weekend. From May 11 to May 23, a total of 15,657 tests were administered. 7068 of those tests came from the Midtown Center site. The decision to keep the UMOS testing site may be in response to the growing cluster of cases on Milwaukee’s South Side, where more than 10% of Milwaukee’s new cases are originating.</p>
<p>In any case, the closing of the Midtown Center site, and the suggestion by the National Guard that its resources be moved to the predominantly white suburb of West Allis, is cause for concern. </p>
<p>“The COVID-19 crisis is a fight between our faulty past and the inequities it’s manifesting in the present,” said Lauryn Cross, a student at the UW-Milwaukee and youth activist. “The Black community, which makes up the majority of the essential worker pool, being exposed to the city’s history of environmental racism, surges in oppression from law enforcement, has its most vulnerable out in the open now.”</p>
<p>With no clear return date in sight for the Midtown Center testing site, and the city planning to reopen with “relaxed restrictions” for essential businesses, it’s almost inevitable that there will be a spike in cases.</p>
<p>In response to the shutdown, community activists are heeding the call put out by the National Alliance Against Racist &amp; Political Repression for a day of action on May 30. On Friday, May 29, organizers are asking for people to call Mayor Tom Barrett’s office at 414-286-2200 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and tell him to reopen the COVID-19 testing site at Midtown Center. Anything less than the site reopening is a clear attack on the livelihoods of Milwaukee’s Black community.</p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/5/26/north-milwaukee-covid-19-testing-site-closure-leaves-black-community-few-options#commentsPeople's StrugglesAfrican-AmericanAnti-racismChican@ / Latin@COVID-19HealthcareMayor Tom BarrettMilwaukeeOppressed NationalitiesPoor People's MovementsTue, 26 May 2020 19:19:35 +0000Fight Back8129 at https://www.fightbacknews.orgGreat Lakes Coca-Cola Teamsters fight for safety measures and hazard payhttps://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/3/30/great-lakes-coca-cola-teamsters-fight-safety-measures-and-hazard-pay
<p>Milwaukee, WI - A wave of worker activity has sprung up in the past two weeks as the slow government and employer response to COVID-19 has thrown millions of workers into dangerous working conditions. Workers have organized petitions, walkouts and sickouts at dozens of workplaces this week, demanding safe working conditions and hazard pay for essential workers during the pandemic.</p>
<p>In response to the wave of worker activity, many companies have begun to offer hazard pay, increased time-off benefits and new safety measures. Warehouse and distribution workers on the frontlines have been leading workplace actions and winning demands. Workers at Great Lakes Coca-Cola Distribution Inc., which operates in several Midwestern states, are fighting for better sick-time policies, hazard pay, assistance for childcare and other policies to keep workers safe.</p>
<p>Teamsters Local 344, which represents Great Lakes Coca-Cola workers in Wisconsin, says the company continues to discipline employees who call out due to COVID-19, and has not fulfilled information requests regarding safety measures the company is taking to protect employees. </p>
<p>Secretary-Treasurer Bill Carroll said the company has "yet to provide any useful response as to what measures they are taking to reduce the risk of our members getting or spreading infection.” Teamsters Local 727 in Illinois also blasted Great Lakes Coca-Cola, calling them a "greedy, anti-worker corporate bully," saying the company "once again picked profit over people."</p>
<p>Coca-Cola's leading competitor, Pepsico, is one of many companies that has provided an increase in pay and benefits to employees since the wave of worker activity began. Teamsters are asking Great Lakes Coca-Cola to match competitors who have provided up to a 20% hazard pay bonus and improved safety measures, but so far Great Lakes Coca-Cola has not done so. Instead of offering hazard pay, Great Lakes Coca-Cola proposed a weekly lump sum bonus of $100 if workers show up consistently and do not call in sick.</p>
<p>“This misguided policy would incentivize employees to come to work sick, which contradicts the recommendations put out by government and health authorities," said Local 344 Business Agent Kevin Schwerdtfeger. </p>
<p>Teamsters are taking the fight beyond the warehouse and going public, asking supporters to call Great Lakes Coca-Cola management at 847-653-0784 and tell them to prioritize worker safety over profits.</p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/3/30/great-lakes-coca-cola-teamsters-fight-safety-measures-and-hazard-pay#commentsCoca-ColaHealthcareMilwaukeestrikeTeamstersTeamstersWisconsinTue, 31 Mar 2020 00:30:44 +0000Fight Back7952 at https://www.fightbacknews.orgMilwaukee: Police now claim Alvin Cole shot gun before they murdered himhttps://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/2/11/milwaukee-police-now-claim-alvin-cole-shot-gun-they-murdered-him
<p>Milwaukee, WI - A week after Wauwatosa police killed Alvin Cole, a 17-year-old Milwaukee resident, the Wauwatosa Police Department claimed that he fired a gun before he was murdered by one of their officers back on the evening of February 2. The information about Cole discharging a weapon was not contained in any of the earlier news reports despite its significance to the ongoing investigation, which is being conducted by the Milwaukee Police Department. This is the first public statement put out by Wauwatosa police since the killing.</p>
<p>"What is clear and not a matter of dispute is that the deceased fired his weapon before the police officer fired theirs," said Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber.</p>
<p>During the press briefing, Chief Weber introduced a photo of the firearm that the police allege was found at the scene, and a video from the dashboard cams in two squad cars was shown. Weber also claimed that authorities found an extended magazine with 35 rounds in Cole’s bag. </p>
<p>In the low-quality video, police say five gunshots can be heard, the first of which is supposedly Cole firing the 9mm semi-automatic from the photo. As proof of this, Chief Weber explained that the crime lab discovered a spent shell casing inside the chamber of the weapon they claim Cole fired. The next four are the shots from the officer that took Cole’s life.</p>
<p>Nothing from the video that was shown could be described as conclusive. It’s hard to differentiate the sounds on the inside of the vehicle from what’s happening on the scene outside. Wauwatosa police officers don’t wear body cams, so the view that is presented in the video is at least 30 feet from where the murder takes place.</p>
<p>Something pointed out by Christopher Storm, a local private investigator who has been involved in documenting the police and challenging their narratives when they’ve committed crimes, puts into question the story that Wauwatosa police are rolling out.</p>
<p>“The weapon [in the photo] appears to have the safety in the ‘on’ position, meaning the gun would not fire,” Storm said. “The gun has no magazine or clip in it. The crime lab could not find a ‘spent casing inside the chamber,’ as a semi-automatic will eject the casing to prepare for the next firing and send the spent casing flying out and to the side. Something is wrong, if this is Alvin Cole’s gun.”</p>
<p>Stretching the truth and presenting false evidence to exonerate killer cops is something that police departments everywhere do. With this being the fifth death at the hands of a police officer in five years, this is old hat for the Wauwatosa Police Department. Leaving the investigation in the hands of the Milwaukee police simply adds to the initial causes for concern that justice will be denied to Cole, his family and his friends. The community is outraged and are demanding justice.</p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/2/11/milwaukee-police-now-claim-alvin-cole-shot-gun-they-murdered-him#commentsPeople's StrugglesPolice BrutalityAfrican-AmericanAlvin ColeAnti-racismMilwaukeeWauwatosa Police DepartmentIn-Justice SystemOppressed NationalitiesTue, 11 Feb 2020 22:15:08 +0000Fight Back7837 at https://www.fightbacknews.orgCoalition to March on DNC threatens lawsuit as Milwaukee government denies democratic rightshttps://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/29/coalition-march-dnc-threatens-lawsuit-milwaukee-government-denies-democratic-rights
<p>Milwaukee, WI - On the evening of January 27, organizers for the Coalition to March on the DNC held a press conference outside City Hall to announce their intention to sue the city if their permit to rally and march is not delivered. Despite having reserved the rotunda inside the building, the press conference was forced to be held outside.</p>
<p>This was the result of a city council representative not booking the room for that evening, even after all proper procedures were followed by the Coalition. This is further proof that the City of Milwaukee is trying to silence the freedoms of speech and assembly of the people.</p>
<p>During the press conference, Ryan Hamann, spokesperson for the Coalition, described the plans to sue if the city remained silent on the issue of permits. The Milwaukee Police Department has met with the Secret Service for the past six months to discuss security parameters for the DNC.</p>
<p>The city’s current plans encompass a large portion of the western segment of downtown Milwaukee, according to a recent announcement. These plans were announced over a week ago, with the claim that permit applications would begin to be addressed. No update has been given to the Coalition on their application, however.</p>
<p>“Mayor Barrett and his administration want a certain image presented of Milwaukee when the DNC comes to town in July,” Hamann said about the lack of response by the city administration. “They don't want protests; they don't want demonstrations. They want to pretend that Milwaukee is a city without problems.”</p>
<p>The ball is now in the court of the city government and Mayor Tom Barrett. So far, his office remains silent on the subject, while continuing its multi-million dollar efforts to roll out the red carpet for the DNC and its corporate backers. The Coalition will continue forward with a lawsuit if the city continues to deny the constitutional rights of its citizens. They are consulting with a number of civil rights attorneys. This most recent slight will only serve to bolster their case.</p>
<p>No matter the outcome, the Coalition to March on the DNC will continue its preparation for the rally and march on July 13, 2020. </p>
<p>Another action is being planned for the end of February that will involve city hall. The Coalition has no intention of being ignored.</p>
<p>“There are real issues affecting not just the people of Milwaukee, but people everywhere around this country,” Hamann said. “With the demands that comprise our points of unity, we can run Trump out of office and move towards a brighter tomorrow for all working-class and other oppressed people.”</p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/29/coalition-march-dnc-threatens-lawsuit-milwaukee-government-denies-democratic-rights#commentsPeople's StrugglesCoalition to March on the DNCDemocratic National Convention (DNC)ElectionsMilwaukeePolitical RepressionIn-Justice SystemU.S.Wed, 29 Jan 2020 17:10:16 +0000Fight Back7808 at https://www.fightbacknews.orgMilwaukee: Momentum builds for protest at Trump visithttps://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/13/milwaukee-momentum-builds-protest-trump-visit
<p>Milwaukee, WI - Preparations are well in hand for the demonstration set to meet President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to Milwaukee on January 14. The initial announcement of the protest was met with a great deal of excitement. This feeling has been sustained, reflected in the fact that over 4500 people have said on Facebook they are interested in attending.</p>
<p>“The fact that we’re still mobilizing in huge numbers four years into Trump’s presidency tells us something about where the masses of people are at,” said Ryan Hamann, a leader with the Coalition to March on the DNC, the organization who initiated the call to protest.</p>
<p>“Trump is the main enemy of the working class and other oppressed people. I think Milwaukee is going to make sure he knows that before he’s done here,” Hamann said.</p>
<p>The event has a dozen co-sponsors and even more endorsements from Milwaukee- and Wisconsin-based organizations. The rally is set to begin at 6 p.m. at Dontre Hamilton (Red Arrow) Park, proceeding to the nearby Pere Marquette Park, and finishing in the streets directly in front of the main entrance of the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, where Trump and his supporters will be gathered inside.</p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/13/milwaukee-momentum-builds-protest-trump-visit#commentsPeople's StrugglesCoalition to March on the DNCDonald TrumpDonald TrumpMilwaukeeU.S.Mon, 13 Jan 2020 20:38:39 +0000Fight Back7771 at https://www.fightbacknews.orgMilwaukee: Wisconsin FRSO responds to hit piecehttps://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/7/milwaukee-wisconsin-frso-responds-hit-piece
<p><em>Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Wisconsin District of Freedom Road Socialist Organization.</em></p>
<p>Milwaukee, WI - The Freedom Road Socialist Organization was named in an article published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on January 7 after a candidate for Milwaukee County Executive was pictured at an anti-war protest near a FRSO banner.</p>
<p>Wisconsin FRSO does not currently endorse candidates for public office, however, we appreciate political candidates that are willing to take a principled stand against Trump’s escalation of war with Iran.</p>
<p>Over 100 community members, trade unionists, students, elected officials, and progressive candidates attended the anti-war rally on January 4th to say “Money for human needs, not war,” “No war against Iran,” and “U.S. Out of Iraq!”</p>
<p>The Freedom Road Socialist Organization has played a leading role in organizing mass movements in Milwaukee for over a decade. Nationally, FRSO claims hundreds of members as leaders in the anti-war, labor, immigrant rights, campus organizing, and police accountability movements. These popular movements encompass a broad spectrum of political ideologies, from liberalism, to social democracy, to Marxism-Leninism. FRSO believes a broad united front strategy is necessary to defeat our enemies, the billionaire capitalist class – the 1 percent.</p>
<p>As a billionaire’s son, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele has used his inherited wealth to buy power and attack the interests of working and oppressed people in Milwaukee County. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that a representative of Abele referred to FRSO as “kooks” in the Journal Sentinel’s redbaiting hit piece.</p>
<p>FRSO wants to replace the inherently undemocratic system that allows the super-rich, such as Abele and Trump, to implement their racist and anti-worker agendas over the working class majority. Recent polls show that socialism is extremely popular among young people, so while billionaires slander Socialists as “kooky,” we know that now is the time to build a mass movement for socialism to end the power of the billionaire class. We believe the working class should run society.</p>
<p>FRSO will play a leading role in the January 14th protest outside Trump’s rally at the UWM Panther Arena at 5:00 pm. We look forward to working with other socialists, as well as progressives, liberals, and all others who oppose Trump’s racist, anti-worker agenda.</p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/7/milwaukee-wisconsin-frso-responds-hit-piece#commentsfrsoIranMilwaukeeOp-EdTrumpWisconsinTue, 07 Jan 2020 19:06:24 +0000Fight Back7758 at https://www.fightbacknews.orgMinneapolis joins with 90 U.S. cities to say “U.S. troops out of Iraq - no war on Iran”https://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/7/minneapolis-joins-90-us-cities-say-us-troops-out-iraq-no-war-iran
<p style="line-height: 1.2; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Wisconsin District of Freedom Road Socialist Organization.</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Milwaukee, WI - The Freedom Road Socialist Organization was named in an article published in the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Milwaukee Journal Sentinel</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on January 7 after a candidate for Milwaukee County Executive was pictured at an anti-war protest near a FRSO banner.</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wisconsin FRSO does not currently endorse candidates for public office, however, we appreciate political candidates that are willing to take a principled stand against Trump’s escalation of war with Iran.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Over 100 community members, trade unionists, students, elected officials, and progressive candidates attended the anti-war rally on January 4th to say “Money for human needs, not war,” “No war against Iran,” and “U.S. Out of Iraq!”&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Freedom Road Socialist Organization has played a leading role in organizing mass movements in Milwaukee for over a decade. Nationally, FRSO claims hundreds of members as leaders in the anti-war, labor, immigrant rights, campus organizing, and police accountability movements. These popular movements encompass a broad spectrum of political ideologies, from liberalism, to social democracy, to Marxism-Leninism. FRSO believes a broad united front strategy is necessary to defeat our enemies, the billionaire capitalist class – the 1 percent.</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a billionaire’s son, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele has used his inherited wealth to buy power and attack the interests of working and oppressed people in Milwaukee County. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that a representative of Abele referred to FRSO as “kooks” in the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Journal Sentinel</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’s redbaiting hit piece.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">FRSO wants to replace the inherently undemocratic system that allows the super-rich, such as Abele and Trump, to implement their racist and anti-worker agendas over the working class majority. Recent polls show that socialism is extremely popular among young people, so while billionaires slander Socialists as “kooky,” we know that now is the time to build a mass movement for socialism to end the power of the billionaire class. We believe the working class should run society.</span></p>
<p><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">FRSO will play a leading role in the January 14th protest outside Trump’s rally at the UWM Panther Arena at 5:00 pm. We look forward to working with other socialists, as well as progressives, liberals, and all others who oppose Trump’s racist, anti-worker agenda.</span></p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/7/minneapolis-joins-90-us-cities-say-us-troops-out-iraq-no-war-iran#commentsfrsoMilwaukeeMilwaukee Journal SentinelOp-EdWisconsinTue, 07 Jan 2020 18:56:37 +0000Fight Back7757 at https://www.fightbacknews.orgTrump to be met with protest at Milwaukee visithttps://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/1/trump-be-met-protest-milwaukee-visit
<p>Milwaukee, WI – Demonstrators will gather outside the Panther Arena, January 14, at 5 p.m., where Trump will be featured at a campaign event.</p>
<p>Ryan Hamann, a protest organizer and spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the DNC, states, “We're calling this protest to let Donald Trump know that he and his anti-people agenda aren't welcome in Milwaukee.”</p>
<p>Hamann continued, “The people here recently won their demand to end police collaboration with ICE in the city. I can't think of a clearer indication of the people's rejection of what Trump stands for than that.”</p>
<p>The Coalition to March on the DNC is also planning a demonstration that will coincide with the first day of the Democratic National Convention, July 13, in downtown Milwaukee.</p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/1/trump-be-met-protest-milwaukee-visit#commentsPeople's StrugglesAnti TrumpDonald TrumpDonald TrumpMilwaukeeU.S.Wed, 01 Jan 2020 19:05:16 +0000Fight Back7741 at https://www.fightbacknews.orgProminent national groups join Coalition to March on the DNChttps://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/1/prominent-national-groups-join-coalition-march-dnc
<p>Milwaukee, WI - Three national groups with large followings, the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the International League of People’s Struggle, and the Students for a Democratic Society recently endorsed the Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention (DNC). </p>
<p>Ryan Hamann of the Coalition to March on the DNC said, “We are picking up new endorsements for our march in Milwaukee, the opening day of the Democratic National Convention, July 13. We are united by a people’s agenda and dozens of groups are signing on.” </p>
<p>Hamann continued, “We will lead a mass rally and march within ‘sight and sound’ of the Fiserv Forum where the DNC is being held. We filed for permits over six months ago, but Mayor Barrett is denying us a permit. He is rolling out the red carpet for Wall Street politicians, but not people like us who live here in Milwaukee. So now we are looking at a law suit to obtain the permits.”</p>
<p>Frank Chapman of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression said, “We are marching on the DNC because while we must defeat Trump, the Democratic Party is in control of where we organize in Black and brown, working class, and LGBTQ communities. We are harshly impacted by police killings. Our neighborhoods are under siege by the police. We want to make sure the Democratic Party hears our demands for community control of the police, and to win the release of political prisoners and wrongfully convicted prisoners.”</p>
<p>Chrisley Carpio of SDS said, “We are joining the march on the DNC because we want to see an end to U.S. wars and to stop the U.S. government from putting children in cages on the border. We need legalization for all! Students from across the country are marching to say, ‘Stop climate change now!’” </p>
<p>“For real change, we need to build a mass movement to defeat U.S. imperialism,” said Bev Tang of the International League of People’s Struggle (ILPS). The ILPS is also hosting a forum in Milwaukee. </p>
<p>The Coalition to March on the DNC will gather at 10 a.m., Monday, July 13 in downtown Milwaukee for a family-friendly rally. Led by Milwaukee activists and their friends from across the country, there will be a wide array of groups, unions, and communities represented. People will hold signs and march with banners, raise their voices to chant and sing, and they will pass the main entrance of Fiserv Forum where the DNC is being held.</p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2020/1/1/prominent-national-groups-join-coalition-march-dnc#commentsPeople's StrugglesCoalition to March on the DNCElectionsMilwaukeeNAARPRU.S.Wed, 01 Jan 2020 19:00:34 +0000Fight Back7740 at https://www.fightbacknews.orgDrop the charges against Milwaukee activist Vaun Mayeshttps://www.fightbacknews.org/2018/7/11/drop-charges-against-milwaukee-activist-vaun-mayes
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<p>Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.</p>
<p>Vaun L. Mayes is a leading activist in Milwaukee’s African American community facing serious felony charges in what many consider a frame-up by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (the ATF) and Milwaukee Police Department (MPD).</p>
<p>On June 5, 60 supporters applauded in federal court as Mayes was released from custody after a hearing. Mayes is facing three charges, including attempted arson. While federal prosecutors claim Mayes tried to organize people to throw rocks at police and firebomb a police station, they also say he never acted on the plans. It was also revealed in court there are at least two government informants involved.</p>
<p>Mayes alleged crimes took place after the MPD shooting of Sylville Smith, a 23-year-old African American man who was running away from police. Smith’s murder by police sparked the Sherman Park uprising, in which a BP gas station was burned to the ground and police lost control for three days, starting on August 13, 2016.</p>
<p>At the time, the MPD said Smith pointed a gun at officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown. Protesters demanded the release of police body camera footage and it revealed that Milwaukee police lied to the public. It showed that Smith had thrown a weapon to the ground before officer Heaggan-Brown shot him in the arm, and then the officer fatally shot Smith on the ground.</p>
<p>Officer Heaggan-Brown was charged, but then acquitted, in the murder of Smith.</p>
<p>In the two years since the Sherman Park uprising, the MPD and federal agencies have had little success in filing charges against people involved in the protests. So the U.S. government is resorting to a frame up.</p>
<p>Mayes is a well-respected activist and youth mentor. He is targeted because he is an unapologetic fighter against police crimes and the oppression of African Americans. Mayes was one of the leaders in the high profile movement to hold MPD accountable for the killing of Dontre Hamilton in 2014. Mayes works tirelessly for the residents in Milwaukee’s African American community, which suffers from some of the highest poverty and incarceration rates of any major U.S. city.</p>
<p>The charges against Vaun Mayes are an attempt to target activist leaders who speak out and organize people against the Milwaukee Police and their crimes. We need your help to defend Vaun Mayes and to hold police accountable, to end there lies, cover-ups and crimes.</p>
<p>The CSFR is asking you to stand in solidarity with Vaun L. Mayes and demand “Drop the charges now!”</p>
<p>Be ready for future calls to action in the campaign to “Drop the charges now!”</p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2018/7/11/drop-charges-against-milwaukee-activist-vaun-mayes#commentsAfrican-AmericanAnti-racismMilwaukeeMilwaukee Police Department (MPD)Sylville SmithVaun L. MayesWed, 11 Jul 2018 21:03:14 +0000Fight Back6863 at https://www.fightbacknews.orgMilwaukee African American leader Vaun L Mayes in court facing frame-uphttps://www.fightbacknews.org/2018/7/10/milwaukee-african-american-leader-vaun-l-mayes-court-facing-frame
<p>Milwaukee, WI – Over 60 people attended Black community leader Vaun L Mayes’ court date, July 5, at the federal courthouse in downtown Milwaukee. In this clear-cut case of political repression, Mayes is facing up to 30 years in prison for conspiracy to commit arson. This charge stems from the rebellion two years ago in the Sherman Park neighborhood, after Milwaukee police murdered the young Black man Sylville Smith in August 2016.</p>
<p>The July 5 hearing was to determine if Mayes would be kept in jail leading up to his trial. After the judge determined he would be released, the government requested a stay in an attempt to appeal the decision - which was denied. The court room broke out in applause with this ruling.</p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2018/7/10/milwaukee-african-american-leader-vaun-l-mayes-court-facing-frame#commentsAnti-racismMilwaukeeSherman ParkSylville SmithVaun L MayesRacism in the Criminal Justice SystemTue, 10 Jul 2018 20:50:55 +0000Fight Back6857 at https://www.fightbacknews.orgWisconsin UPS drivers demand a good contracthttps://www.fightbacknews.org/2018/6/23/wisconsin-ups-drivers-demand-good-contract
<p>Milwaukee, WI - On the overcast morning of June 22, over 50 package car drivers and part-time workers at the Elm Grove hub came to work early for a parking lot rally led by Teamsters Local 344. </p>
<p>The mood of the rally was set by news the night before that a ‘handshake deal’ had been reached between the national UPS and Teamster negotiating committees that included lower-than-expected wages for part-time workers and a second tier driver classification that would work weekends. </p>
<p>The workers present were not sold that this was the best contract their negotiators could get. Many brought up the fact that UPS is one of the most profitable companies in the country, yet they refuse to pay part-time workers a living wage or pay all drivers at the same wage rate.</p>
<p>Fired up, the workers rallied with their Local leadership, all in agreement that the only way they can get a contract they deserve is if they stand united. Local 344 has never flinched from stating that their part-time members deserve a living wage, that drivers deserve more time with their families and that their contract needs to have the strongest anti-harassment language possible to protect workers from zealous supervisors. </p>
<p>The rally ended with the workers chanting, "Who are we? Teamsters!" and "Worker power!" It was clear to all present that Wisconsin's Teamsters will not accept a concessionary contract, and are willing to fight for better.</p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2018/6/23/wisconsin-ups-drivers-demand-good-contract#commentsPeople's StrugglesMilwaukeeTeamstersTeamsters Local 344unionUPSLaborSat, 23 Jun 2018 19:34:52 +0000Fight Back6803 at https://www.fightbacknews.orgProtest in Milwaukee against the Israeli ambassador to the U.S.https://www.fightbacknews.org/2018/6/11/protest-milwaukee-against-israeli-ambassador-us
<p>Milwaukee, WI - On June 3, Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer visited Milwaukee and spoke at the local Rotary Club at the War Memorial Center to discuss the recent move of the U.S. Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. During his address, Dermer made it clear that the move represents “one of the greatest decisions in the history of Zionism.”</p>
<p>Outside the building where Dermer was giving his address, a group of 70 protesters gathered with flags, signs and megaphones. The demonstration was organized by several local groups, including Jewish Voices for Peace-Milwaukee, Peace Action Wisconsin, and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network-Milwaukee.</p>
<p>A few of the participants managed to gain access to the event to give cues to the protesters on the outside. Those listening to the address communicated when the ambassador was speaking and whether or not they could hear the chanting from the outside. Demonstrators were pleased to hear that their messages were loud and clear and had a definite impact on the atmosphere of the room.</p>
<p>Samir Moukaddam, a Milwaukee activist leader and co-organizer of the protest, said that the Rotary event was set up in an effort to protect the Israeli ambassador from any kind of criticism from the community.</p>
<p>“The #ApartheidAmbassador event was purposely held in a way to shield the extremist Ambassador Ron Dermer from facing the truths of his criminal regime and its alliances in the U.S. with neo-cons, Islamophobics, fascists, anti-Semites and the Trump administration,” Moukaddam said. “Our protest succeeded in cracking that shield and sent a strong message that we will expose his lies and whitewashings of the crimes of the Israeli regime.”</p>
<p>At one point during the protest, several of the organizers handed out flyers with the names of the Palestinian martyrs who have been killed by the Israeli occupation since the beginning of the Great March of Return on March 30. A few protesters read the names of the slain and the rest of the group chanted in unison “We remember you!” directing their voices at the building so the ambassador and his audience might hear.</p>
<p>When the speaking event came to a close, the protesters marched down to the parking lot, outside the only exit from the building. As the attendees filtered out one-by-one, protesters showered them with chants of “Shame!” “Shame on you!” “Shame on Israel!” “Free, free Palestine!” and “Long live Palestine!”</p>
<p>Ambassador Dermer made an effort during his speech to try to connect Milwaukee to the growth and development of Zionism through the person of Golda Meir, who served as Israel’s fourth prime minister from 1969 to 1970. However, if this demonstration was any indicator, the people of Milwaukee reject wholesale the genocidal apartheid regime in Israel and stand in full support of the Palestinian people in their struggle for liberation.</p>
https://www.fightbacknews.org/2018/6/11/protest-milwaukee-against-israeli-ambassador-us#commentsPeople's StrugglesAntiwar MovementAnti-racismIsraelMiddle EastMilwaukeePalestinePalestineTue, 12 Jun 2018 02:38:47 +0000Fight Back6779 at https://www.fightbacknews.org